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Volume 3, Chapter 9
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Mysteries of Udolpho, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Marriage, Love, and Inheritance
The Wonders of Nature
Mystery and Superstition
Mortality
The Value of Education and Art
Summary
Analysis
Back in Languedoc, around the same time when Emily is in Udolpho, there is a man named Count De Villefort. In the year 1584 (the same year St. Aubert died), he inherits an estate after the death of his relative Marquis De Villeroi. Marquis De Villeroi had abandoned this estate for a while, letting it fall into a state of decay, so the Count De Villefort goes to the estate to oversee repairs. His wife, the Countess De Villefort, is unhappy due to the rural location of the estate, preferring the excitement of Paris. The Count also brings along his son and daughter from an earlier marriage, Henri and Blanche.
Although Count De Villefort is a new character, this is not the first appearance of the Marquis De Villeroi, who was mentioned briefly as the owner of a mysterious chateau that Emily and St. Aubert passed while they were traveling during St. Aubert’s last days. There seems to be something haunted about Marquis De Villeroi, who let his chateau fall into a state of decay, much like Montoni at Udolpho. By contrast, the Count De Villefort takes care of fixing the property and seems to have an enthusiasm for rural life that recalls St. Aubert.
Themes
The estate has very gothic architecture. The Countess De Villefort finds the place gloomy, as does Henri, but Blanche is cautiously intrigued by the big old building. They find that the servants appointed by Marquis De Villeroi to watch the estate have been there for over 20 years. Blanche meets Dorothée, an old servant who has also been at the estate for a very long time.
Both for better and for worse, the old estate of Marquis De Villeroi seems to be a relic of the past, in its architecture, in its rundown condition, and in the age of the servants who have been watching over it for so long, including when they were the estate’s only residents.
Themes
Dorothée tells them stories about the estate’s past and how the previous owner didn’t use it much because he found it gloomy. Blanche marvels over how beautiful the surroundings are—and every object in the house also seems to fascinate her. She thinks of how splendid all God’s creations are and offers a prayer before she goes to bed.
This estate seems to combine elements of La Vallée and Udolpho, offering proximity to a beautiful landscape, but also offering a gloomy atmosphere and the promise of secrets. The chapter ends without drawing a clear connection back to Emily’s story, leaving that as a cliffhanger.
Themes
